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7/31/2019 Bridgeport Executive Summary Parks Report 2012 Sasaki Spreads for Web
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7/31/2019 Bridgeport Executive Summary Parks Report 2012 Sasaki Spreads for Web
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What will the Park Systemlook like for the nextgeneration in Bridgeport?
The FuTure oFthe Park City
Perhaps most importantly,
Bridgeport should return to its
heritage as The Park City.
- Master Plan of Conservation & Development
7/31/2019 Bridgeport Executive Summary Parks Report 2012 Sasaki Spreads for Web
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as Connccus lgs c w gowngpopulon, Bdgpos p ssm
will play a critical role in the uture health o the Citys ecosystem, economy, and community. More than just the sum o
orty-ve parks, the plan or Bridgeports park system represents a comprehensive understanding o the importance o
healthy open spaces to the community and to city-wide revitalization.
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The vision or the Bridgeport Parks System creates a
vehicle or engaging citizens and new partners in the parks,
revitalizing the City and the region, and reconnecting to
the citys vast, but oten hidden, waterront. It achieves the
key goals o the community: to enhance its existing parks,
expand the system through creation o new parks, and
provide better connections between parks and people.
Bridgeports expansive waterront includes the beloved,
well-used Long Island Sound, the centrally located
Pequonnock River, and uture restoration o the Yellow Mill
Creek, and Rooster River. These diverse waterronts provide
a new legacy or Bridgeport: an interconnected network
that sustains the Park City tradition set by Frederick Law
Olmsted at Beardsley and Seaside Parks, while endowing
uture generations with healthier ecological, social, and
economic environments in their own neighborhoods. Most
importantly, the plan seeks to ensure all citizens and visitors
have easy access to the parks, through a new system o
hyper parks and investment in the streets and pedestrian
environment that connect people to parks. A high-qu
Parks System will help to increase residents quality o
lie, attract and retain the next-generation workorce
and encourage residential and business reinvestment
as Bridgeport builds toward a uture with a revitalized
downtown, thriving neighborhoods, and parks that ar
accessible to all.
With over orty-ve parks in the system, including t
iconic Olmsted landscapes and dozens o neighborho
parks, the Plan celebrates unique places ranging rom
beachront gathering spaces or hosting estivals and
to walkable playgrounds or the daily enjoyment by a
in the East Side. Building on the path set out by BGre
2020, Bridgeports recent sustainability plan, the mas
plan envisions improved access to waterront park res
and highly-programmed hyper-parks that will serve th
Citys highest need neighborhoods with diverse recre
options.
Above and Right:Seaside Park hosts many
well attended activities, rom largeevents to daily use at the skatepark.
Other high-quality parks through-out the city will help increase
residents quality o lie.
Dvs wfons povd nw lgc fo
Bdgpo: n nconncd nwo
susns P C don...
6 | Executive Summary The Future o Pa
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Upland Habitats:Includes urban orest, urban shrub/scrub, and urban grassland.Issues include runo, pollution, nutri-ents, sediment, ragmented habitat,habitat loss, lost species diversity.
Riparian Corridors:Deends against runo, erosion, ood-ing, and lter pollutants.Provides habitat and corridors orwildlie, shade or waters and scenicvalue and recreational opportunitiesor people.
Coastal Habitat:Tidal marsh, beaches and duneskey or 45% o endangered specProvides habitat, shoreline stabition, ood storage and natural and dampens storm surges.
ulad
Coastal
riaia
Bidgot habitats
Bridgeports EcologyBridgeports parks are part o an ecological system andare dened within three distinct habitat zones. The ParksMaster Plan seeks to restore the connection between urbanparks and the Citys rich natural environment.
Land Characteristics:Physiography: Coastal plain along the Long Island Sound
Geology: lacial till deposits
Soils: Disturbed urban soils, with some native soils inland
Water Characteristics:Watershed: Southwest coast drainage basin
Ecological Region: Southern New England Coastal Lowland.
rgioal ecology
Vlocity zo
100 yafood
500 yafood
8 | Executive Summary The Future o Pa
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Shared reSourCeS &reSponSiBiliTieS
We need everyones help tokeep the parks safe, clean,active, and living up to thePark City legacy.
A deep and abiding belief that the new urbandweller, recently transplanted from the countryside,
had a need and right to public parks.-Mayor Bill Finch
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The Plan is based on the philosophy
that the park system belongs to theBridgeport public, and that it requires
ongoing commitment and investment
rom residents and private partners in
order to endure. Planning, developing,
and maintaining an extensive park system
like Bridgeports is an enormous task,
particularly in todays economic climate
o shrinking unding and budget austerity.
Successul implementation o the parks plan
will be the result o collaboration o many
partners. Although the list will grow over
time, critical partners have already been
identied and include the City o Bridgeport
sta and leaders, Bridgeport residents,
neighborhood groups and Bridgeports
Neighborhood Revitalization Zones (NRZs),
business leaders, non-prots and cultural
organizations (such as the Trust or Public
Land and the Bridgeport Arts + Cultural
Council), and the Bridgeport Board o
Education.
Each partner will be a steward o a
dierent park or park type, helping to ensurethat the park system is well-cared or and
benets rom the vision and hard work o
its many users and supporters. For example,
the City will remain as the main steward o
the major city and regional parks: Beardsley,
Seaside and Fairchild Wheeler. They will
continue to protect the Olmsted Parks
legacy in Bridgeport, and think creatively
about seeking uture revenue-generating
opportunities in the parks, through vendors,
activities, or partnerships. Neighborhood
groups and the NRZs will gain new
responsibilities or the smaller parks within
their geographic neighborhoods. Each group
will adopt a neighborhood park, and be
responsible or contributing sweat equity,
regular improvements, daily care, and
general stewardship o that park.
Future Partners in the Parks:A critical rst step in implementation o theparks master plan is developing partnershipswith the many groups who will help care orthe parks in the uture, including the Boardo Education, neighborhood groups, privatebusinesses and nature conservancies.
Succssful mplmnon of ps pln w
b sul of collboon of mn pns
Shared Resources and Responsib
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To gather support and input or the plan, and build a
partnership base or uture implementation, the City o
Bridgeport led a diverse public outreach strategy as part o
the parks plan. Public outreach was structured to ensure
that the community not only contributed their voices to the
planning process in order to shape the plan, but also ound
new ways to participate in the uture maintenance and
continuing implementation o the parks vision. To engage
the broadest range o constituents outreach included
traditional public meetings, but also reached beyond thatormat with an online survey, stakeholder interviews, in-park
user interviews, and a charette with Seaside day-campers.
The project was launched in April 2011, with initial
outreach that included ocused stakeholder interviews, and
a presentation to the Board o Park Commissioners. In late
June, the City and stakeholders collectively reviewed the
parks and recreation inventory o existing conditions and
needs assessment.
An online survey was available openly throughout the
process and distributed in hard copy to neighborhood
groups and through City Hall. Hundreds o park users
replied to the survey and used its interactive mapping tool
to answer questions about park priorities, helping to shape
the initial direction o the plan. From this survey, park users
revealed that amily-riendly parks and amenities, such as
playgrounds, splash pads, picnic shelters, and swimming
acilities are the most desired park improvements. The survey also showed that users
understand the value o the Citys unique,
large park assets, voting that the top
three parks or ocused improvements are
Seaside, Pleasure Beach, and Veterans
Memorial Park. However, it also revealed
that visibility and marketing o parks and
recreation programs is an area that needs
improvement: a little more than hal o
households who completed the survey have
not participated in Bridgeport recreation
programs or events in the last 12 months.
Building o the survey eedback, Parks
Master Plan Public Forums were held in the
summer (August 10, 2011) and again in the
all (October 12, 2011). During the August
meeting, over eighty members o the public
gathered at Cesar Batalla School to d
their vision or the plan and give eed
on three concepts or the parks mast
ramework: 1) Connect; 2) Expand; an
Enhance. In October, a second public
was held at Waltersville School to rev
and discuss the preerred master plan
implementation strategy or the utu
many participants who gave eedbac
the Citys parks and recreation needs
helped shape the comprehensive Par
Master Plan that will direct reinvestm
the park system or years to come.
Below:The planning process employedmany tools or the communityto provide eedback on the plan,ncluding community orums and
public outreach in the parks.
Above:Community voices were heard attwo public orums.
Top:Children contribute to the planningprocess during a summer camp atSeaside Park.
enggng Bdgpo Commun
n Ms Pln
14 | Executive Summary Shared Resources and Responsib
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MeeT TodayS need &plan For The FuTure
Sustainability strategies will transform
the Citys image from a rust-belt city witha post-industrial legacy to a clean, green
community with a high quality of life.
BGreen 2020: A Sustainability Plan for
Bridgeport, Connecticut
What are thepriorities of thecommunity today?
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Bridgeports Parks Master Plan is a blueprint to guide
decisions about investments in park improvements and
development and recreation programs over the next 15years, and beyond. The plans goals include ensuring that
the park system leads the way to the uture with goals to be
physically connected, ecologically diverse, accessible to all,
and economically viable.
While these are long-term goals, they are balanced
against an understanding that the master plan must also
chart a path to meet the communitys immediate needs
today. A needs assessment o the City o Bridgeports
existing park system and recreation programs showed
that there are existing decits in many park amenities and
recreation programs. The Bridgeport parks system was
evaluated against national standards, peers, and model cities
or overall system size, provision o dierent sports and play
amenities, and park operations such as stafng and unding.
The park system was organized into park types by scale or
specialization: regional, community, neighborhood, mini,
and special use. In terms o the overall system, access
and well-programmed neighborhood parks are the hig
needs throughout the City. With Beardsley, Seaside, aFairchild Wheeler as large, community wide assets, th
is well-served at the regional and community park sca
ocus o the plan is providing walkable neighborhood
with amily-riendly play activities and durable elds
courts. The most needed amenities were established
playgrounds (with a need or over ty more playgrou
ollowed by tennis courts, and basketball courts.
The quantity o park and amenities is only part o t
story around park need. The needs assessment was a
supported by a demographic analysis o Bridgeports
population that combined access to a car, population
density, income, and diversity. Using this metric, the p
identied a central belt o high need running east-we
across the center o Bridgeport extending rom either
o downtown. Addressing the open space and recrea
needs in this high need area is a priority o the master
Physically Connected
Envision Bridgeports parks as part o a connected green in-
rastructure system throughout the city that keeps people and
the environment healthy.
Connect Bridgeports signature regional parks to its neighbors.
Ecologically diverse
Celebrate the range o open space types in Bridgeports
system.
Through environmental restoration, bring brownelds, vacant
lots, and neglected lands into the open space system.
Accessible to AllOer more diverse programming.
Improve communications and ensure parks are highly visible.
Economically ViableSupport growing population trends with new parks to serve
needs.
Create value or uture development.
18 | Executive Summary The Challenge: Meeting Todays N
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pk Sstm
1,346 cs45+ ks
regional parks
CoMMUniTY parks
neigHBorHooD parks
Mini parks
speCial Use
HIH NEED
LOW NEED
#Fields
#Courts
Diverse Park Types
Bridgeports park system benets rom a range o
park types, rom large regional parks like Seaside and
Beardsley to local neighborhood playgrounds.
Distribution of Park Amenities
A revised 2011 park inventory shows the distribution
o sports, play, and leisure elements throughout the
Citys parks.
City-wide Park NeedNeighborhood need analysis combined car access,population density, income and diversity to show ahigh need belt through the center o the City
20 | Executive Summary The Challenge: Meeting Todays N
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The MaSTer plan
Bridgeports parkswill become the greeninfrastructure of the city.
Cleaning this land isnt only necessary for
economic development, but also to achieve healthyneighborhoods.
BGreen 2020: A Sustainability Plan for
Bridgeport, Connecticut
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t Ps Ms Pln nvsons nw conncons
o Bdgpos wfons w connuous
publc ccss long Pquonnoc rv nd
soon of yllow Mll C codo. These waterronts will draw people and investmentto the downtown and east side neighborhoods, and
provide recreation that benet the entire city. They will
be complemented by investment in durable, high-quality
amenities in neighborhood parks. Together, Bridgeports
parks will become the green inrastructure o the city,
supporting the ecological, social, and economic health o the
City. The ollowing section highlights some o the priority
projects that will be transormative or the community,
including a new park at Sliver by the River, restoration o
the Yellow Mill Creek, designation o ve hyper parks, and
improved signage and waynding within and between parks.
Physically Connected
Bridgeports parks will be part o a connected open
space system o parks, streets, regional trails, and linear
waterronts. In the uture, Bridgeports signicant
waterronts will become an even more important part o the
park system, as a public access trail along the Pequonnock
continues to take shape and a new partnership initiative is
explored to restore ecological health and public access to
the east sides Yellow Mill Creek. Knowlton Park will open
soon on the east side o the Pequonnock River, and themaster plan has also identied a new downtown waterront
park location at the Sliver by the Riversite. A public park
at this critical site north o the intermodal station will oer
new gathering spaces or large concerts or summer movies, a
launch site or kayakers, and play acilities all within blocks
o downtown.
Bridgeports local parks will be linked to regional op
space resources along transportation corridors. Comp
o a nal link on the Housatonic Railway Trail system
connect many Bridgeport assets via a multi-use trail t
spans teen miles and connects Bridgeport, Trumbu
and Monroe. The Water Street dock at the mouth o t
Pequonnock River, Glenwood Park, Beardsley, and Fa
Memorial Park will all be connected along this trail.
Future complete streets throughout Bridgeport w
also help improve walking or biking environments bet
parks and park users. Complete streets are roads tha
designed or retro-tted to enable sae travel or all us
including pedestrians, bicyclists, motorists and public
transport users. Increasingly, street design also includ
green inrastructure elements, such as bioswales, tha
water on site and promote environmental sustainabil
awareness.
In Bridgeport, Park Avenue and Lincoln Avenue are
envisioned as uture complete streets, and each will s
to connect park assets. Park Avenue will ultimately co
major, regional and community parks on the west side
Bridgeport, linking Seaside Park to Fairchild Wheeler
Course, Veterans Memorial Park, and Puglio Park. Alit spans a shorter distance, Lincoln Avenues complet
street project will improve neighborhood access to Ke
Stadium and Leroy Brown Jr. BJ Memorial Park.
Left:Sliver by the River today
Right:A new downtown park, at
Above:The Sliver by the Riversite provides a potential uture location or individuals and amilies to relax downtown and access the waterront.
24 | Executive Summary The Maste
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Accessible to All
The Bridgeport Parks Master Plan will oer more diverse
programs and services to all, improve communications
and visibility o the parks system, and ocus service
improvements on the central high need neighborhoods
o the city through creation o ve hyper-parksthat are
strategically located. Design o the hyper-parks includes
concentrating play and sports opportunities or amilies and
selecting highly durable materials that anticipate high use
and minimize maintenance. The strategy or these ve parks
includes expanded amenities at Success Park, West Side II,
and Went Field, and new designs or Old Mill Green and a
combined Upchurch Park and James Brown Waterview Park.
The hyper-parks help Bridgeport close the gap between
amenities that are provided in existing parks, and the high
demand that was demonstrated through the parks survey
and needs assessment. The plan allocates new amenities
- particularly high-demand court sports, splash pads,
sports elds - within Bridgeports parks by considering a
combination o neighborhood need, the existing distribution
o amenities across the city, and the physical potential o
each park to accommodate more intense use. The ve
hyper-parks in the core need belt o the City will he
address geographic inequalities throughout the syste
Eorts were made to ocus amenities in these parks a
the center o the city so that highly programmed spac
are centrally accessible, and amenities are concentrat
order to help minimize maintenance logistics. Beyond
ve hyper-parks, additional amenities are recommen
or each o the Citys other parks, as appropriate, in o
serve individual neighborhood needs.
To ensure the community can take advantage o ex
and uture park resources, it is important to increase t
visibility o parks within the community through impr
website legibility, marketing, clarity and availability o
and amenities maps, publications, and signage and w
nding throughout the park system. The survey show
that many community members are not aware o the
and recreation resources that the City already oers.
improved website with a clear hierarchy o inormatio
a comprehensive, printed recreation programming gu
help better communicate the Parks Departments o
to the community.
Ecologically Diverse
Bridgeports parks are part o a connected green
inrastructure system, and will play an important role in
improving the ecological health and diversity o the City
over the next decades. Current and on-going restoration
projects at Pleasure Beach Park and St. Marys by the
Sea demonstrate the citys commitment to protecting
key habitat areas, while also providing public access to
their natural resources. Re-naturalization o the edges
o large parks such as Beardsley will support increased
environmental health, while serving the dual purpose
o minimizing maintenance over time or Parks sta.
Additionally, continuation o a city-wide tree planting
program will reinorce the tree canopy that provides critical
shade and micro-climate along the streets.
Through concerted partnership eorts, restoration o the
Yellow Mill Creek Corridor will be a transormative project
or high need neighborhoods on the east side, providing
rehabilitated riparian corridors that improve wildlie habitat,
water quality, and increase biodiversity. Public access paths
are incorporated into the design vision to ensure this uture
park asset can be accessed and enjoyed by the community.
Restoration o the Yellow Mill Creek can also generate social
benets and contribute to re-development o the East Side
corridor by improving amenity and views, and opening up
space or recreation.
5 nw hy paks
SUCCESSOLD MILLREEN
JAMES BROWNWATERVIEW/UPCHURCH
WEST SIDE II
WENT FIELD
Top: A uture vision or a restored Yellow Mill Creek, with public access paths and new open spaces.
Bottom: Yellow Mill Creek, today.
26 | Executive Summary The Maste
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The Parks Master Plan charts a long-term vision or Bridgeport that will unold over time. Yet, critical to long-term su
is creating early implementation steps that can generate excitement among the community and set the stage or large
projects. Three immediate steps have been identied:
1. Develop and secure partnerships. Begin by developing
partnerships with the Board o Education and the
existing, established neighborhood groups (NRZs).
Clariy the opportunities in each relationship, and
dene the current and uture roles and responsibilities
or each party. The City should continue building
regional partnerships with the Trust or Public Land, the
Faireld County Community Foundation, and others
to begin putting together a multi-partner initiative torestore and redevelop Yellow Mill Creek. Th e Yellow
Mill Creek initiative will be a complex, multi-year eort,
but it is important to build on current support and
momentum and lay the groundwork now.
2. The East Side has been identied as a high need area
or parks, and hyper-parks will be a key element o
meeting this need. Early on, the City should identiy
the site o the rst designated hyper-park on the east
side and invest in these improvements. Depending on
uture conversations regarding Route 1/ Boston A
either Old Mill Green or the Upchurch/James Br
Waterview composite park would be a catalytic
step toward providing much needed amenities an
investment on the east side.
3. Downtown represents the civic, employment, an
activity center o Bridgeport and is an important
to show demonstrated progress. Early progress onew downtown park at Sliver by the River will m
very public and visible project that links to the on
work on access to the Pequonnock River and serv
a gateway or arrival to Bridgeport at the intermo
station. Additionally, a waynding & signage stud
should be undertaken, with rst steps to include
downtown signage and waynding system.
Economically Viable
A renewed Bridgeport parks system will also be a critical contributor to the Citys economic health, and eorts should be
made to minimize maintenance costs, increase revenue and vendor opportunities, and create private partnerships so that
open space can be integrated into new development to increase value. The City should seek to increase vendor opportunities
at Seaside Park and continue operating the Fairchild Wheeler Gol Course.
As has been shown in many other cities, increasing public access and waterront revitalization is strongly linked to
creating value or redevelopment. Restoration o the Pequonnock River and Yellow Mill Creek can be used to help stimulate
redevelopment eorts on the east side, linking to strategic sites such as Steel Pointe, the Lake Success Eco-Business Park,
or waterront developments. In Bridgeports downtown, partnerships with local businesses and downtown arts or cultural
groups can create stewardship opportunities or parks like McLevy Green and Baldwin Plaza that are essential to downtown
activities and events.
rlzng Vson
McLevy reen provides a scenic setting or the City Trust Building, demonstrating that parks add value to downtown development.
The Park City: Future parks will live up to the legacy set by Olmsted at Beardsley, above.
28 | Executive Summary The Maste
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Mayor Bill Finch
Charles Carroll, Parks Director & Public Facilities Director
Ted Grabarz, Sustainability Director & Deputy Director oPublic Works
Steve Hladun, Project Coordinator
Mike Nidoh, Director o Planning
Board o Parks Commissioners: James Brideau, James Giles, BanjedLabrador, Mark Marko, Frank A. Mercaldi, Ann E. Owens, Rosa
Cruz
Andy Valeri, Parks Manager
Luann Conine, Recreation Superintendent
Bill Coleman, Planning & Economic Development
Donald Eversley, Director o Planning and Economic Development
Angie Staltero, Neighborhood/NRZ Coordination
Rick Myers, Downtown Special Services District
Michael Moore, Downtown Special Services District
Paul Timpanelli, Bridgeport Regional Business Council
Brian Bidolli, Greater Bridgeport Regional Business Council
Stuart Sachs, Historic Preservation Commission
Deborah Caviness, Small and Minority Business Resource Ofce
Tammy Pappa, Lighthouse Program, Ofce o Education and Youth
City Council: Lydia Martinez, Martin C. McCarthy, Susan Brannelly,Denese Taylor-Moye, Anderson Ayala, Robert S. Walsh, M. EvetteBrantley, Howard Austin, Sr., Thomas C. McCarthy, Michelle Lyons,AmyMarie Vizzo-Paniccia, Warren Blunt, Richard Bonney, AngelM. DePara, Jr., Carlos Silva, Manuel Ayala, Richard M. Paoletto, Jr.,Robert Curwen, James Holloway, Andre F. Baker
aCKNoWledGeMeNts